I've been making a simple creature creation game designed to inspire creators who are ready for a challenge. The idea is to force you to make a creature using a specific list of parts. After you upload your creation, you get to see what others have made with the exact same parts list. You can get the app at the link below. Just unzip the file into any folder and run the CreatorClash.exe

Comments & constructive feedback welcome.
I wrote the whole thing in Python using nothing but free tools and self taught code. If anyone is interested in learning how to do this, lemme know. If there's enough interest I'm considering putting together a tutorial.

From the spore api (http://www.spore.com/comm/samples) I used:
Assets for User
Info about an asset
Buddies for user
Special Searches
Asset Data
Part Info
and Part Icon

(I've had some issues getting this to work on Vista - something to do with a re-distributable software update.)

Since Python is a cross-platform language, could your code run under Mac OS X? As long as you used standard cross-platform toolkits and modules, I believe anyone with a Mac should be able to run the source and/or package it as an app.

I have gotten it to run fine on my Mac after installing the dependencies. The issues I do have are only very minor, for example the text is pretty small in a few places, though not unreadable; and the parts list is cut off, although you can still scroll horizontally to see all of it. If I can get it to work as a standalone mac app package (i.e. with required libraries included), would you mind if I posted it here for others to download?

BugSquash wrote:I have gotten it to run fine on my Mac after installing the dependencies. The issues I do have are only very minor, for example the text is pretty small in a few places, though not unreadable; and the parts list is cut off, although you can still scroll horizontally to see all of it. If I can get it to work as a standalone mac app package (i.e. with required libraries included), would you mind if I posted it here for others to download?

The parts list scrolls sideways on a Mac? Lol, I didn't expect that. Well, if you want to "pretty it up" and make your own Mac branch of the code - knock yourself out. It started open source - just keep that spirit alive and you can do what you like.

Some recent bug fixes and changes were made, most importantly the creator's name is revealed with the creature's name when you win. This makes it easier to find their creation in the sporepedia for commenting and rating. Also the opponent list no longer gets corrupted if you toggle win loss conditions and try to delete an opponent you've already beaten. The source files have been updated and this link has the new compiled version. Just unpack and run CreatureClash.exe
http://www.pc-3d.com/files/Spore/CreatorClash.zip

If you don't know what a CAPTCHA is, then go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAPTCHA I used a similar idea as the API example, but used it as a CAPTCHA. You have to choose which creature is the "cutest". This may not work due to "cuteness" usually being different for everyone. And that is why I ask for different question ideas. If you want to use this...(get the source), then contact me.

If you don't know what a CAPTCHA is, then go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAPTCHA I used a similar idea as the API example, but used it as a CAPTCHA. You have to choose which creature is the "cutest". This may not work due to "cuteness" usually being different for everyone. And that is why I ask for different question ideas. If you want to use this...(get the source), then contact me.

Yes, the error happens sometimes. It pretty much means that it failed to connect to the API. Also, yes there is that problem, but I could use GD and make it so that it doesn't know what the image is of.

Instead of cuteness, you could use number of legs, e.g. "Which of these has 3 legs?" A spambot still wouldn't know the difference (if you used GD, at least), but it would be easier for a human since it's usually pretty obvious how many legs a creature has and not so obvious how "cute" the game engine rated it. You'd just have to make sure each creation in the CAPTCHA has a different number of legs so there could only be one correct choice.

I made a simple creations feed using Processing. It's based on the example on the site, but it starts with the 50 most popular new creatures, before getting all the new creations. Clicking will stop te scrolling and allow you to open the Sporepedia and comment on or rate it.